


you come to mind in carefree steps

by Tecnomotive



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Kissing, M/M, Public Display of Affection, slightly unrealistic timeline (i dont understand international flights)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-03
Updated: 2017-06-03
Packaged: 2018-11-08 15:17:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11084307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tecnomotive/pseuds/Tecnomotive
Summary: during the past season in milwaukee and now the championships, juuse hasn’t really had too much time to think about pekka, or pekka apparently still having his number. juuse stares at the message for a while unable to resist a smile, and then quickly replies.





	you come to mind in carefree steps

**Author's Note:**

> decided to translate an old work from last years worlds for the kicks! and also because these two's tag is a bit dry nowadays. understandably no one probably remembers much about this tournament, so see the end notes for further explanations of dates etc. mentioned here.

5.11.2016

Juuse is sat in the locker room almost ready to leave. His phone has found its way from his hands to his pocket and the other way around a good number of times already, and he’s not even sure why. A friend sent him a text congratulating him on the shutout a few minutes ago and Juuse sent one back thanking him; maybe that’s why he hasn’t been able to put the phone away. Words of congratulations have been raining from all over, from his teammates as well as from the team management. Another reminder of no-goals-allowed is the Sisu-knife his teammates rewarded him with.

Juuse decides that trying to live through his phone right now is meaningless so he goes to put it away for good, but at that second he gets a notification for a new text; he quirks up an eyebrow when he notices the person who sent it.

_What an incredible performance!! Seems like I’ve trained u well :)_

During the past season in Milwaukee and now the championships, Juuse hasn’t really had too much time to think about Pekka, or Pekka apparently still having his number. Juuse stares at the message for a while unable to resist a smile, and then quickly replies thanking and agreeing.

 

 

5.15.2016

The save percent of a perfect one hundred in the last three games played in the men’s championships—that’s something Juuse can admit to be a bit proud of, too. To think that he’d go on like this is, of course, just wishful thinking, especially since he doesn’t really have much of an idea when or against whom he’s going to play next, but that doesn’t stop the congratulations and thank-yous from coming in. Koskinen even joked about Juuse putting him in a tough spot and under tremendous pressure, but Juuse just laughed at him, knowing full well he’s still far away from the place of a starting goalie. At least in this tournament, that is.

Juuse doesn’t really want to admit it to himself, but he’s a bit upset about not hearing from Pekka at all this time. He’s trying to justify it with the Predators getting eliminated from the playoffs; like everyone else, he saw Pekka’s frustration and anger, and he can only imagine how tough a place that must have been for him, losing a big game in such an unfortunate way.

Juuse feels desperate spending the whole bus drive back to the hotel glancing at his phone. Maybe Pekka messaging him is just as much wishful thinking as it is to hope that his streak of shutouts would last longer than it already has—Juuse is in no way Pekka’s number one priority, not even close, and he knows that. Sure, they got along better than Juuse had expected in the championships last year, and got to see each other a few times in the past NHL season too, and they had their... moments, so to say, but Juuse is sure Pekka has forgotten about that by now. Juuse doesn’t blame him. He sighs, and tired, leans against the bus’ cold window.

Just before arriving to the hotel, Juuse’s phone lights up and he finally gets the notification for a new text. The exhaustion disappears in a second when he grabs his phone and reads the message.

_You have a day off tomorrow right? Are u free then?_

Juuse doesn’t understand why that would be a relevant question since he supposes Pekka hasn’t left the States yet, but quickly types a reply.

_Yeah. Why??_

Pekka is taking his time replying and Juuse feels himself get impatient waiting for an answer. He’s not sure what to expect at all, especially considering he feels like he shouldn’t be expecting anything in the first place.

_Good. I arrived to St. Petersburg a few hours ago. See u tomorrow at 4 in the hotel lobby? :)_

Juuse has to look out of the window to hide his smile from his teammate sitting next to him.

 

 

5.16.2016

Juuse is sat opposite Pekka at a fancy local restaurant, and doing his best on concentrating on the menu handed to him and ignoring how Pekka keeps stealing glances at him over his. His eyes are familiarly lively and Juuse feels his cheeks slowly start to go red and hot, but it’s relieving to see Pekka so cheerful instead of low-spirited and blue. Because of the Predators’ elimination that’s what Juuse had been expecting at first, but maybe St. Petersburg and Juuse himself have given him something else to think about. At least Juuse hopes so.

“Are you ready to order?” Pekka finally asks and Juuse lifts his eyes to him. He nods and sets his menu on the table, taking a sip from his glass of water. Pekka has a pint of beer in front of him, so maybe he isn’t yet done dealing with the elimination.

The waiter takes their orders and Juuse sees Pekka smiling at his English. He almost kicks him in the shin under the table, but it’s more of a fond smile rather than a mocking one, so he doesn’t. Juuse wonders if Pekka only came here to tease him with sweet smiles and glances when he thinks Juuse isn’t looking.

“Why are you here?” Juuse asks even though he’s fairly sure of the answer already. Pekka looks a bit stunned, like the answer would be self-evident. It is, but Juuse wants to make sure.

Pekka takes a sip of his beer. “I’m here to see you,” he says matter-of-factly and Juuse wasn’t blushing before, he is now. “And the rest of the team, of course.”

Juuse snorts with a small smile on his lips. He feels flattered, almost important, but doesn’t admit that to himself. Pekka is probably just teasing. “You got kicked out what, three or four days ago? There’s not—”

Pekka doesn’t let Juuse finish. “Yep. And I wouldn’t be here if we hadn’t.”

Juuse figures trying to argue with Pekka is not worth it, so he keeps quiet. It wouldn’t matter anyway—Pekka is here now and Juuse would be lying if he said he wasn’t glad about that.

/

Pekka insists Juuse lets him escort him to the hotel the team is staying at. Juuse doesn’t know how to say no to the look in Pekka’s eyes and is happy to start navigating the streets of St. Petersburg by his side back to the hotel. He listens to Pekka’s stories about Nashville with a smile on his face and shares a few stories himself as well, noticing how much he actually has missed being around Pekka. They arrive to the hotel too quickly and Juuse almost invites Pekka in to spend the evening with the team.

“We should probably meet some other day too, yeah? Is Wednesday fine?” Pekka asks when they stop in front of the hotel. Juuse can’t get a word out of his mouth once he notices how close to him Pekka is standing, but manages to nod. Pekka smiles down at him and before Juuse even notices, he hunches down to quickly kiss him on the cheek. Pekka’s hand lingers on his shoulder for a while, eyes even livelier than before, and Juuse is unable to look away.

Juuse wants to kiss him, but before he finishes the thought Pekka is already steps away, getting into a taxi parked nearby. He waves Juuse goodbye with a warm smile on his face, and Juuse waves back with a short delay. He feels warm, the cheek Pekka kissed still tingling.

 

 

5.18.2016

Pekka took Juuse for dinner just like he did the other day; this time the restaurant wasn’t as fancy, but still too fancy for the dinner to have felt completely casual. Juuse figures casual was never Pekka’s intention anyway. He’ll take it.

There isn’t really anything casual about Pekka’s lips crashing his either, or about Pekka’s weight sternly pinning him against the wall keeping him at his place. The way he kisses him is something much sweeter and softer than the fingers pressing what probably ends up being light bruising on his hips—it’s a contrast Juuse can get behind. Pekka lightly nibs at Juuse’s lower lip, not hard enough to draw any blood, but still make Juuse inhale sharply.

“How was dinner?” Pekka asks between kisses. Juuse doesn’t really see why Pekka thinks that is an important question right now, but Pekka is a tease and Juuse knows that. He pulls him down for another kiss before answering.

“Good,” he hums against Pekka’s lips and feels him smile into the kiss.

Pekka’s touch is getting lighter; his hands only lingering on Juuse’s sides now, lips slowly pulling away. He runs his fingers through Juuse’s hair and leaves his hand on Juuse’s cheek, and Juuse feels like he could drown in the dark blue of Pekka’s eyes.

“It’s getting late,” Pekka says, voice a bit quieter than usual. Juuse likes it.

“And?”

“And,” Pekka snorts, “you probably have practise in the morning. You should go back to your hotel. I bet they’re already worried for you.”

Juuse smiles quietly. Pekka has a point with the morning practise—Juuse doubts Komarov really cares about how long he stays out—but he still wouldn’t want to leave quite yet. He comforts himself with the thought that whatever this is that he and Pekka have right now probably doesn’t end in St. Petersburg. He hopes so, at least.

Pekka kisses Juuse one more time at the door. “That’s for good luck for the quarter final.”

Juuse snorts. “You know I’m not playing tomorrow,” he says and watches Pekka roll his eyes with a smile on his lips as he leans his tall figure against the door frame.

“What am I supposed to do, kiss the whole team? I think kissing you should be enough,” he says and Juuse laughs. Pekka watches him with adoration in his eyes and Juuse feels his cheeks go red and hot like it was day one.

“See you later,” Pekka then says. Juuse responds with a nod and a smile, and leaves the hotel with a fuller heart than ever. Maybe this really was more than just wishful thinking.

**Author's Note:**

> 5.11.16: finland beat hungary 3—0  
> 5.15.16: finland beat slovakia 5—0  
> (finland beat denmark 5—1 in the QFs)
> 
> koskinen is mikko koskinen, finland's starter in this tournament and komarov is leo komarov who afaik roomed with juuse. [here's](https://www.instagram.com/p/BFR9-nmEgaL/?taken-by=leijonatfi) juuse with his sisu-knife, an mvp award inside the team. maybe we can talk about those "moments" they had some time later.
> 
> come say hi on [tumblr](http://rjohansens.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
